Preventing and reducing tobacco consumption is an important step towards a healthy lifestyle.

Tobacco is highly addictive due to the presence of nicotine and is a major risk factor for cardiovascular and respiratory diseases, over 20 types of cancer, and many other debilitating health conditions.

Over 8 million people die due to tobacco use every year. This does not count the number of non-smokers who also face deadly consequences due to tobacco use by others. Second-hand exposure to tobacco smoke causes an addition 1.2 million deaths every year.

Governments use a combination of taxes, laws, and graphic health warnings and labels on tobacco products to reduce consumption, but more can be done to prevent and deter tobacco use. Counselling tobacco users on the damaging effects of tobacco and providing them with counselling and other resources to help them quit are also critical for eliminating tobacco use around the globe.